PBIHOE',. 
MiG,  JAN  1884 
i^,  THEOLOG 


r?,^ 


BX  9177  .K4  1883 
Kerr,  Robert  P.  1850-1923. 
Presbyterianism  for  the 
people 


p.  ^' 


PRESBYTERIANISM 


FOR 


THE    PEOPLE 


BY  THE 

Rev.  ROBERT  P.   KERR. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 

No.   1334  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


COPYRIGHT,    1883,    BY 
THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


ALL  BIGHTS   RESERVED. 


Westcott  a  Thomson, 
Sletfolyjifrs  nnd  Electroty]>ers,  Philada. 


'^•^^.  JAM  1884 


'  "  '^>>Y 


wir* 


PREFACE. 


This  little  volume  is  not  for  theologians.  There 
are  many  abler  and  more  elaborate  works  on  Pres- 
byterianism  written  for  them.  It  is  for  the  people 
— the  busy,  earnest  people,  who  have  neither  the 
time  nor  the  taste  for  an  extensive  study  of  this 
subject,  but  who  ought  to  know — at  least,  in  a  gen- 
eral way — what  Presbyterianism  is,  what  it  has 
been  in  the  past,  what  it  believes  and  teaches. 
In  his  pastoral  work  the  author  has  often  wished 
for  such  a  book,  and  he  earnestly  hopes  that  this 
one  may  help  supply  what  he  believes  to  be  a  real 
need  of  the  Churcli.  For  it  he  asks  the  blessing 
of  God  and  the  favor  of  the  people. 

K.  P.  K. 


CONTENTS. 


PART    I. 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  GOVERNMENT. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

PAGR 

The  Study  op  Peesbyterianism 9 


CHAPTEE  n. 
What  is  Presbyterianism  ? 12 

CHAPTEE  III. 
The  Bible  Origin  op  Presbyterianism 17 

CHAPTEE  IV. 
Apostolic  Presbyterianism 21 

CHAPTEE  V. 
Post-Apostolic  Presbyterianism 25 

CHAPTEE   VI. 

Presbyterianism  op  the  Middle  Ages 29 

5 


<>  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

The  Assemblies  of  the  Church 33 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  General  Council 42 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Deacons 47 

CHAPTER  X. 
Presbyterianism  in  other  Churches 50 


PART    II. 

PRESBYTERIAN  THEOLOGY. 

CHAPTER  I. 
Presbyterian  Theology 61 

CHAPTER  II. 
Peculiarities  op  Calvinism 67 

CHAPTER  III. 
Calvinism  and  Self-Government , 71 


PART  I. 


IS 


PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR  THE  PEOPLE. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  STUDY  OF  PRESBYTERIANISM. 

rriHE  Presbyterian  Church,  including  all  its 
-*-  branches,  is  the  largest  Protestant  organiza- 
tion in  the  world.  Its  communion  embraces  peo- 
ple of  \very  civilized  nation,  and  it  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  great  forces  of  Christendom.  Its 
members  have  acted  a  distinguished  part  in  liter- 
ature, philosophy,  science,  art  and  government,  as 
well  as  in  religion,  and  many  of  tjie  greatest  names 
of  history  are  found  on  its  rolls.  It  has  been  iden- 
tified with  nearly  all  great  nlovements  looking  to 
the  advancement  of  the  highest  interests  of  man- 
kind, in  Church  and  Jn  State.  Liberality  and 
breadth  of  vision  hav^  at  all  times  characterized 
this  branch  of  the  0iurch  of  Christ.  The  Pres- 
byterian Church  Kas  never  been  sectarian  in  its 
treatment  of  other  denominations,  but  has  acknow- 


10     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR    THE  PEOPLE. 

ledged  the  churcbship  of  all  bodies  which  hold  tlie 
fundamental  doctrines  of  Christianity,  offering  fel- 
lowship even  to  those  who  would  not  hold  fellow- 
ship with  it,  receiving  their  members  at  its  com- 
munion-table and  their  ministers  into  its  pulpits. 
Indeed,  in  many  cases,  Presbyterians  have  been 
so  liberal  as  to  neglect  the  study  of  their  own  pecu- 
liar institutions.  Thousands  of  them  are  in  igno- 
rance of  the  history  of  their  Church  and  of  the 
high  place  it  holds  among  the  denominations.  A 
boastful  spirit  is  not  to  be  desired,  but  Presbyterians 
ought  to  knoio  Presbyterianism.  They  have  been 
noted  for  the  study  of  the  great  doctrines  of  relig- 
ion rather  than  of  forms  of  government  and  w^or- 
ship  or  of  their  own  peculiarities.  In  other  words, 
they  have  studied  Christianity  more  than  they  have 
studied  Presbyterianism.  This  is  right,  but  they 
have  gone  too  far.  In  doing  one  they  should  not 
have  left  the  other  undone.  The  Shorter  Catechism, 
which  was  drawn  up,  in  connection  with  other 
standards  of  doctrine,  by  the  Westminster  Assem- 
bly, in  London,  in  1646,  and  which  is  our  great 
theological  text-book,  is  so  thoroughly  unsectarian 
that  it  has  been  freely  used  by  other  denominations 
for  the  instruction  of  the  young,  and  in  some  in- 
stances by  persons  who  did  not  know  that  it  was  a 


THE  STUDY  OF  PRESBYTERIANISM.        11 

Presbyterian  catecliisiii ;  for  the  word  "  Presby- 
terian "  does  not  occur  in  the  book. 

The  study  of  Presbyterianism  need  not  make 
men  bigoted  or  exclusive,  but  should  contribute  to 
their  efficiency  in  the  grand  army  of  God.  The 
cavalry  ought  to  understand  cavalry  tactics,  the 
infantry  and  artillery  should  master  their  own 
respective  departments,  and  all  should  fight  har- 
moniously, side  by  side,  for  one  great  end. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  perusal  of  these  pages  may 
not  tend  to  sectarianism,  but  that  it  may  help  some 
Presbyterians  to  a  better  understanding  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Church  to  which  they  belong. 
These  peculiarities  refer  to  government  and  doc- 
trine, and  may  be  described  as  ecclesiastical  repuh- 
licanism  combined  with  Calvinistic  theology.  The 
subject  will  be  examined  under  these  two  divisions, 
prominence  being  given  to  the  former,  as  that  is 
our  own  peculiar  possession,  Calvinistic  theology 
being  held  by  several  other  churches  in  common 
with  our  own. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHAT  IS  PRESBYTERTANISMf 

npHE  invisible  Church  consists  of  all  God's  true 
-^  people  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  and  the  vis- 
ible Church  of  all  who  profess  the  essential  doc- 
trines of  Christianity  and  who  are  organized  for 
work  and  for  worship,  together  with  their  chil- 
dren. 

This  great  visible  Church  is  made  up  of  several 
denominations  holding  various  views  of  doctrine, 
government  and  worship,  having  separate  organ- 
izations and  distinguished  by  many  different  names, 
but  all  professing  the  essential  truth  that  we  are 
saved  by  faith  in  a  divine  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  atoning  graxie  is  applied  to  our  souls  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  renews  us,  sanctifies  us  and  pre- 
pares us  for  heaven. 

The  various  denominations  have  grown  out  of 
different  crises  of  Church  history,  and,  whereas 
many  of  them  started  in  dissension,  God  has  over- 
ruled their  existence  to  the  glory  of  his  name  and 

12 


WHAT  IS  PRESS YTERIANISMf  13 

the  good  of  the  world ;  so  that,  as  they  stand  to-day, 
they  are  unquestionably  an  advantage,  ensuring  a 
continued  study  of  doctrine  and  the  maintenance 
of  purity,  and  furnishing  an  incentive  to  aggressive 
effort  in  the  redemption  of  mankind  by  the  preach- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ. 

But,  whilst  we  work  in  separate  organizations, 
we  should  love  one  another,  and  should  let  char- 
ity so  conspicuously  crown  our  efforts  as  to  show 
in  spirit  a  fulfillment  of  Christ's  prayer  that  we 
"  might  be  one."  Thus  shall  we  silence  the  sneers 
of  the  world  at  our  lack  of  love. 

There  are  two  great  questions  which  every  de- 
nomination must  answer :  What  to  do  f  and  How 
to  do  it  f  "  What  to  do  ?"  refers  to  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel ;  "  How  to  do  it  ?"  refers  to  Church 
government.  This  second  question  some  answer 
by  saying,  "  Do  it  by  episcopal  modes ;"  others, 
'^  By  congregational ;"  others  still,  "  By  presby- 
terian."  So  Church  government  is  simply  ^'how 
to  do  it."  "What  to  do?"  is  a  question  upon 
which  we  are  all  substantially  agreed — "  to  preach 
Christ  and  him  crucified."  As  to  "  How  to  do 
it  ?"  we  say,  "  Do  it  by  presbyterian  modes." 

There  are  only  three  great  principles  of  Church 
government:     (1)    Episcopal,    a    government    by 


14     PRESS  YTERTANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

bisliops,  iiicluding  the  Protestant  Episcopal,  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  and  Catholic  Churches;  (2)  Con- 
gregational, a  government  by  congregations,  in- 
cluding the  Congregational,  Independent  and  Bap- 
tist Churches ;  and  (3)  Presbyterian,  a  government 
by  Presbyteries,  including  all  Presbyterian  and 
Reformed  Churches  throughout  the  world.  In 
civil  government  there  are  two  great  systems, 
the  monarchical,  or  oligarchical,  and  the  repub- 
lican; these  correspond  substantially  with  Epis- 
copal and  Presbyterian.  There  is,  and  can  be, 
no  such  thing  as  a  congregational  or  purely  dem- 
ocratic government  in  the  State  if  it  include  a 
large  number  of  citizens.  It  is  a  government  by 
the  people  without  any  rulers.  Monarchy  and  re- 
publicanism, or  self-government,  have  contended 
together  from  the  beginning,  with  a  gradual  ad- 
vance among  the  nations  toward  the  latter;  and 
the  highest  privilege  claimed  for  the  people  under 
a  republican  governmeiit  is  to  elect  their  own 
rulers.  They  are  therefore  called  "  representa- 
tive." Such  is  the  case  in  the  American  republic 
and  in  others. 

Presbyterian  Church  government  is  not  a  form, 
but  a  principle ;  and  whereas  the  applications  of 
thi:s  principle  will  havQ  a  strong  resemblance,  still 


WHAT  IS  PRESBYTERIANISMf  15 

the  exact  forms  of  its  development  are  determined 
by  circumstances.  This  principle  may  be  briefly 
stated  as  follows :  Presbyterian  ism  is  a  Church 

GOVERNMENT  BY  REPRESENTATIVES  ELECTED  BY 
THE  PEOPLE  AND  ALL  OF  EQUAL  AUTHORITY, 
WHICH  IS  EXERCISED  BY  THEM  ONLY  WHEN  OR- 
GANIZED   INTO    AN    ASSEMBLY    OR    COURT.      These 

representatives  are  called  Elders,  or  Presbyters, 
and  are  of  two  classes — Ruling  Elders,  who  only 
rule,  and  Teaching  Elders  (or  preachers),  who  both 
rule  and  teach.  The  assemblies,  or  courts,  of  the 
Church  are  composed  of  equal  numbers  of  Ruling 
and  Teaching  Elders,  except  in  case  of  the  lowest, 
called  the  Session,  or  Consistory,  where  all  except 
the  presiding  officer,  or  Moderator,  are  Ruling 
Elders. 

These  assemblies  are  arranged  in  the  scale  of  a 
regular  gradation  from  the  Session,  through  the 
Presbytery  and  Synod,  to  the  General  Assembly, 
which  is  the  highest.  These  are  all  Presbyteries, 
because  composed  of  Presbyters,  and  had  origi- 
nally the  same  functions ;  but  for  the  sake  of  effi- 
ciency and  order  there  has  been  a  distribution  of 
duties,  each  one  having  its  own  province  strictly 
defined.  It  is  the  duty  of  each  higher  court  to 
review   the   proceedins^s   of    the   next   lower,   and 


16     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

cases  are  carried  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest. 
In  some  parts  of  the  Church  minor  classes  of 
cases  are  not  allowed  to  come  before  the  General 
Assembly,  but  receive  their  final  decision  in  the 
Synod. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  BIBLE  ORIGIN  OF  PRESBYTERIANISM. 

"ITTE  claim  that  whereas  no  kind  of  Church  gov- 
^  '  ernment  is  commanded,  yet  Presbyterianism 
was  practiced  from  the  earliest  times.  There  is  no 
command  to  change  the  Sabbath  from  the  last  to 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  but  the  Christian  Church 
observes  the  first  day  because  it  was  the  practice 
of  the  apostolic  Church  so  to  do. 

The  Church  existed  first  in  the  family,  the  father 
being  the  head.  As  families  multiplied,  their  sev- 
eral heads,  or  elders,  would  naturally  form  a  ruling 
assembly ;  but  because  a  body  composed  of  all  the 
heads  of  families  in  an  extensive  community  would 
be  too  large  for  general  efficiency,  the  people  would 
elect  from  the  number  of  older  men  certain  ones 
conspicuous  for  piety  and  wisdom  to  be  their  rep- 
resentative rulers.  They  would  then  have  a  Pres- 
bytery. In  a  simple  state  of  society  this  body 
would  have  charge  of  both  religious  and   secular 

2  17 


18     PRESBYTEBIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

affairs,  but  as  society  advances  a  necessity  arises  for 
the  separation  of  the  affairs  of  Church  and  State. 
In  Old-Testament  times  they  were  united,  but  were 
separated  under  the  New  Dispensation. 

We  find  this  presbyterial  government  in  oper- 
ation among  the  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  when 
Moses  came  upon  the  stage  of  history.  God  told 
him  to  go  and  call  together  the  "  elders  of  Israel  " 
and  lay  his  business  before  them.  He  was  to  be 
their  leader  in  the  exodus  from  Egypt  and  in  the 
journey  to  Canaan ;  but,  though  divinely  appoint- 
ed to  this  office,  he  did  not  undertake  it  without 
calling  together  the  elders  of  the  people  and  ex- 
plaining God's  purpose  to  them.  In  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  to-day,  if  a  man  feels  called 
of  God  to  be  a  pastor  and  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel, the  Presbytery  must  sit  in  judgment  upon  his 
credentials  and  qualifications.  Moses  afterward  or- 
ganized a  higher  court,  or  assembly — very  like  a 
General  Assembly — of  those  whom  he  knew  to  be 
elders,  to  preside  over  the  government  of  the  whole 
Church.  This  body  was  composed  of  seventy  el- 
ders, and  was  in  later  times  called  "  the  Sanhe- 
drim." Beginning  with  Exodus  iii.  16,  the  word 
"elder"  (signifying  "ruler")  is  used  in  the  Old 
Testament  about  one  hundred  times,  and  over  sixty 


BIBLE  ORIGIN  OF  PRESBYTERIANISM.      19 

times  in  the  New.  Their  duties  were  the  same  as 
those  of  elders  now — administrative  and  judicialy  to 
administer  the  government  and  to  decide  cases. 
This  is  a  simple  statement  of  the  functions '  of 
elders  in  all  ages,  growing  out  of  the  very  nature 
of  things  and  having  God's  endorsement.  The  ad- 
ministrative function  is  seen  in  their  coming  to- 
gether to  receive  Moses;  the  judicial  (Deut.  xix. 
11),  where  they  were  instructed  to  try  men  for  mur- 
der. These  two  cases  are  selected  as  typical  of  the 
large  number,  which  may  be  seen  by  referring  to 
any  concordance  of  the  Bible,  under  the  word 
"Elder.'' 

The  introduction  of  the  priesthood  interfered 
not  with  the  office  of  elder.  The  priesthood  was 
part  of  the  ceremonial  system  of  worship,  of  which 
the  temple  was  the  representative.  The  business  of 
the  priest  was  to  offer  sacrifices  and  to  intercede  for 
the  people,  as  a  type  of  Christ.  But  when  Christ 
came  the  great  sacrifice  was  made,  and  there  was  no 
further  use  for  sacrifice  or  priest  to  remind  men  that 
Christ  was  coming ;  so  the  veil  of  the  temple  was 
rent  when  Christ  said,  "  It  is  finished !"  Then 
priestly  sacrifices  and  gorgeous  ritual  passed  away, 
God  destroying,  through  the  agency  of  Rome, 
every   vestige   of  the    temple  where  so   long  they 


20     PBESBYTEBIANISM  FOR  THE  PEOPLE. 

had  served.  But  there  still  remained  untouched 
the  old  government  of  elders.  In  each  synagogue 
there  was  a  bench  of  elders  and  a  "  minister." 
In  Luke  iv.  20,  Christ  "gave  the  book  to  the 
minister,  and  sat  down."  The  synagogue  elders 
were  responsible  to  the  Sanhedrim  in  Jerusalem, 
as  we  learn  from  The  Life  of  Josephus  (section  xii.) 
and  from  other  sources. 

This  was  a  government  on  the  great  principle  of 
representative  assemblies ;  which  is  Presbyterianism, 
The  men  who  administered  the  government  were 
often  corrupt,  but  the  principle  was  sound  and  was 
never  called  in  question  in  the  Scriptures. 


CHAPTEK  IV. 

APOSTOLIC  PBESBYTERIANISM. 

CJUCH  being  the  government  under  which  the 
^^  Church  was  living  when  the  apostles  were  sent 
out  to  Christianize  the  world,  it  was  natural  that 
they  should  follow  the  time-honored  customs  of 
God's  people  in  every  land  whither  they  went;  so 
we  find  that  as  they  journeyed  among  the  nations, 
preaching  the  gospel  and  organizing  congregations 
of  converts,  they  ''^ordained  them  elder s^  in  every 
churcli^^  (Acts  xiv.  23) — that  is  to  say,  they 
carried  out  the  old  synagogue  system  of  govern- 
ment by  elders,  with  which  the  Jews  dwelling 
among  the  nations  were  familiar.  They  were  not 
organizing  a  new  Church,  but  only  extending  the 
old  Church  of  God  and  proclaiming  that  the  Christ 
had  come.  The  Jews  who  rejected  Christ  cast 
themselves  out  and  virtually  made  themselves  a 
new  body. 

We  discover,  on  the  one  hand,  no  traces  of  Con- 
gregationalism, for  "  every  church  "  was  ruled,  not 

21 


22     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

by  the  people  directly,  but  by  their  representatives ; 
nor,  on  the  other,  of  Episcopacy,  for  the  congregation 
was  committed  to  the  care,  not  of  one  man,  but  of 
several  elders.  In  Acts  xx.  28,  where  Paul  was  in- 
structing the  elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus,  whom 
he  had  requested  to  come  to  Miletus,  he  said,  "  Take 
heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock 
over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hatli  nmde  you  bish- 
ops^^  (eTicaxoTioc).  This  word  was  translated  "over- 
seers'^ in  the  Old  Version,  but  in  the  new  one — 
prepared  principally  by  Episcopalians — it  is  cor- 
rectly rendered  "  bishops."  This  passage  alone 
shows  conclusively  that  '^  bishop "  was  simply 
another  name  for  elder,  for  these  were  elders  to 
whom  the  apostle  was  speaking.  In  the  seven- 
teenth verse  we  read:  "And  from  IMiletus,  he 
sent  to  Ephesus  and  called  the  elders  of  the 
church.^^ 

A  grand  feature  of  the  Presbyterian  system  is 
the  perfect  equality  in  rank  of  all  the  elders.  It  is 
entirely  opposed  to  the  Episcopal  distinctions  of 
bishops,  priests  and  deacons.  Paul  shows  the 
equality  of  all  elders  in  1  Tim.  v.  17:  "Let 
the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of 
double  honor,  especially  they  who  labor  in  the 
word  and  doctrine."     This  shows  that  the  elders 


APOSTOLIC  PRESBYTERIAN  ISM.  23 

had  the  office  of  ruling  in  common,  but  that  some, 
in  addition  to  ruling,  "labored  in  the  word  and 
doctrine."  In  1  Tim.  iv.  14  ordination  is  shown 
to  be,  not  by  one  bishop,  but  by  "  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  Presbytery,"  which  was  composed 
of  several  elders,  or  bishops,  as  they  were  indif- 
ferently styled.  In  Jerusalem  a  General  Assem- 
bly (Acts  XV.),  composed  of  "  apostles  and  elders," 
was  held  to  decide  a  question  concerning  the  ob- 
servance of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  the  decision  of 
this  body  was  sent  out  to  the  churches  as  authori- 
tative. This  is  conclusive  against  both  Congre- 
gationalism and  Episcopacy. 

We  have  found  that  the  governmental  princi- 
ple of  Presbyterianism  runs  throughout  the  whole 
Bible  history;  and  now,  in  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion, we  can  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  same  princi- 
ple operating  in  the  government  of  the  redeemed 
in  heaven.  In  ch.  iv.  4  we  read  that  "  round 
about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats, 
and  upon  the  seats  were  four  and  twenty  elders 
sitting "  (not  standing),  "  clothed  in  white  rai- 
ment, and  they  had  upon  their  heads  crowns 
of  gold."  The  facts  that  they  were  "sitting" 
and  that  they  wore  "crowns"  indicate  authority. 
Christ  on  the  throne,  and  the  elders  sitting  around 


24     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR    THE  PEOPLE. 

him,  coDstituted  the  governing  body  of  the  saints. 
This  is  the  final  endorsement  of  the  grand  principle 
of  Church  government  by  elders  in  "that  Holy 
City,  the  New  Jerusalem,"  which  shall  at  last  de- 
scend out  of  heaven,  when  "  the  tabernacle  of  God 
shall  be  with  men." 


CHAPTER  V. 

POST-APOSTOLIC  PBESBYTEBIANISM. 

rriHE  order  of  apostles  was  a  temporary  one,  just 
-*-  as  the  priesthood  had  been,  both  having  grown 
out  of  the  exigences  of  their  respective  periods. 
The  priests  passed  away  with  the  completion  of 
their  work,  when  Christ  came.  The  apostles 
were  chosen  to  be  eye-witnesses  of  the  great  fact 
that  Christ  rose  from  the  dead.  The  order,  there- 
fore, could  not  exist  after  those  died  who  were  con- 
temporaries of  Christ.  To  be  an  apostle  it  was 
necessary  to  have  been  appointed  to  that  office, 
and  to  have  seen  the  Lord  after  his  resurrection. 
This  is  plainly  set  forth  in  1  Cor.  ix.  1,  where 
Paul  is  vindicating  his  apostolic  authority.  He 
says,  "Am  I  not  an  apostle?  .  .  .  Have  I  not 
seen  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord?" 

The  apostles  all  passed  away,  and  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Church  remained  what  it  had  been 
from  the  beginning — a  government  by  assemblies 
of  elders,  or  "presbyters."     It  was  a  spiritual  re- 

25 


26     PRESBYTERTANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

public,  admitting  of  no  distinctions  of  rank ;  and 
even  Peter,  whom  |)a])ists  claim  as  the  first  of  the 
popes,  said  of  himself  in  his  First  Epistle  (v.  1), 
"/  who  €17)1  also  an  elder "   (presbyter). 

After  the  apostles  we  have  historical  proof 
of  the  true  Presbyterian  organization  of  the 
Church. 

Clemens  Romanus,  writing  in  the  first  cen- 
tury, says,  "  It  is  a  shame,  my  beloved,  and 
unworthy  of  your  Christian  profession  to  bear, 
that  the  most  firm  and  ancient  church  of  the 
Corinthians  should  be  led  to  rise  up  against 
the  elders.  Let  the  flock  of  Christ  enjoy  peace 
with  the  elders  which  are  set  over  it." 

Again,  in  the  third  century,  Hippolitus  writes, 
"The  elders  cited  Noetus,  who  was  charged  with 
heresy.  Having  summoned  him  a  second  time, 
they  condemned  him  and  cast  him  out  of  the 
church."  Here  is  a  trial  by  Session  too  plainly 
set  forth  to  need  argument. 

It  is  with  peculiar  pleasure  that  the  testimony 
of  a  great  Episcopalian  is  here  introduced.  Dean 
Stanley,  of  Westminster  Abbey,  London,  writes, 
"  The  most  learned  of  all  the  bishops  of  England, 
whose  accession  to  the  great  see  of  Durham  has 
recently  been   welcomed    with    rare  unanimity  by 


POST-APOSTOLIC  PRESBYTERIANISM.       27 

the  whole  Cliurch  of  England,  has,  with  his 
characteristic  moderation  and  erudition,  proved 
beyond  dispute,  in  his  celebrated  essay  attached 
to  his  edition  of  St.  PauFs  Epistle  to  the  Philip- 
pians,  that  the  early  constitution  of  the  apostolic 
churches  of  the  first  century  was  not  that  of  a 
single  bishop,  but  of  a  body  of  pastors  iiidiffei^ently 
styled  bishops  or  presbyters,  and  that  it  was  not  un- 
til the  very  end  of  the  apostolic  age  that  the  of- 
fice which  we  now  call  episcopacy  gradually  and 
slowly  made  its  way  into  Asia  Minor;  that  Pres- 
bytery icas  not  a  later  growth  out  of  Episcopacy, 
but  that  Episcopacy  teas  a.  later  groivth  out  of 
Presbytery ;  that  the  office  which  the  apostles  in- 
stituted was  a  kind  of  rule,  not  by  bishops,  but 
of  presbyters ;  and  that  even  down  to  the  third 
century  presbyters  as  well  as  bishops  possessed 
the  power  of  nominating  and  consecrating  bish- 
ops ;  and,  besides,  ther^e  ivere,  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Middle  Ages  down  to  the  Reforma- 
tion, large  exceptions  from  the  principle  of  epis- 
copal government  which  can  be  called  by  no  other 
name  than  Presbyterian,^^ 

This  testimony,,  coming  from  Bishop  Lightfoot 
— "the  most  learned  bishop  of  the  Church  of 
England" — endorsed   by  Dean   Stanley   (who   for 


28     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

his  scholarly  attainments  and  elegant  diction  was 
the  pride  and  favorite  of  the  British  aristocracy), 
is  of  immense  value  in  establishing  our  claim  to 
apostolic  Presbyterianism. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PBESBYTERIANISM  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 

TN  the  process  of  time  the  desire — ever  found 
-^  in  the  minds  of  men — for  authority  and  pre- 
eminence asserted  itself  in  the  pastors  of  large 
churches  claiming  authority  over  those  in  small 
parishes.  Being  resorted  to  for  advice  and  as- 
sistance by  country  churches  in  securing  pastors, 
these  city  ministers  gradually  came  to  believe  that 
they  had  a  right  to  appoint,  and  at  last  to  con- 
secrate, men  to  the  ministry.  This  was  the  germ 
of  episcopacy;  but  of  course  it  required  many 
years  for  this  innovation  to  pervade  any  large 
portion  of  the  world,  and  to  secure  its  recog- 
nition as  a  part  of  the  constitution  of  the 
Church.  At  last,  however,  it  became  the  general 
rule;  though,  as  Bishop  Lightfoot  says,  "there 
were  large  exceptions.''  While  some  churches, 
by  their  remoteness  from  the  great  cities  and 
through  other  causes,  were   protected  in  the  en- 

29 


30     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

joyment  of  their  Presbyterian  liberty,  the  larger 
part  of  the  Christian  world  recognized  the  epis- 
copal form  which  had  grown  up. 

But  the  tendency  of  which  episcopacy  was  the 
outgrowth  continued  to  develop  until  it  cul- 
minated in  the  establishment  of  two  great  ec- 
clesiastical empires,  corresjDonding  to  and  hav- 
ing their  two  head-bishops  in  the  two  principal 
cities  of  the  world,  Rome  and  Constantinople. 
The  Church  power  which  before  had  existed  in 
solution  throughout  all  the  body  of  believers  at 
last  crystallized  around  these  two  centres,  and 
episcopacy  found  its  complete  development  in 
the  patriarch  of  Constantinople  and  the  pope 
of  Rome.  These  two  pastorates,  by  gradual  en- 
croachments extending  through  a  period  of  sev- 
eral centuries,  had  gained  authority  over  nearly 
the  whole  Christian  world.  Then  came  the 
"Dark  Ages,''  when  the  Church  was  held  in 
the  chains  of  ecclesiastical  tyranny  and  lulled  to 
slumber  by  the  opiate  of  beautiful  forms  and 
ceremonies  superadded  upon  the  simplicity  of 
apostolic  worship.  But,  as  in  the  Old-Testament 
period,  God  still  reserved  to  himself  a  remnant 
who  were  faithful  and  refused  to  recognize  the 
two   Antichrists    who   had     usur|)ed    the    crown- 


THE  MIDDLE  AGES.  31 

rights  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Prophet,  Priest  and  King 
over  his  people. 

In  the  valleys  of  Southern  France  and  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Italian  Alps  the  Waldenses 
— noble  name ! — kept  themselves  free.  Behind 
those  natural  fortresses  they  took  refuge,  defy- 
ing the  power  of  the  pope,  and  from  those  Alp- 
ine heights  the  pure  light  still  shone  through 
that  awful  night  whose  hours  were  measured  by 
centuries.  In  the  isles  of  Western  Scotland — or 
Caledonia,  as  it  was  then  called — there  was  a  lit- 
tle flock,  named  Culdees,  who  maintained  a  pure 
Presbyter!  an  ism.  On  one  of  these  isles  (lona) 
are  still  to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  the  seminary 
whence  Columbanus  and  his  brethren  sent  mission- 
aries (of  whom  St.  Patrick  was  one)  into  Ireland, 
into  Scotland,  into  England  and  to  the  northern 
shores  of  Europe.  The  Culdee  Church  main- 
tained its  independence  from  the  early  ages  of 
the  Christian  era  to  the  close  of  the  thirteenth 
century.  The  Waldenses  were  never  suppressed, 
but  have  had  an  independent  existence  up  to  the 
present  day,  and  now  form  a  constituent  part 
of  the  great  confederation  of  Presbyterian  and 
Reformed  churches  throughout  the  world.  But 
when  their  delegates   made   their  first   appearance 


32     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

in  the  General  Council,  they  said,  "  We  do  not 
call  ourselves  Rejormed,  for  we  have  never  been 
dejormedp  and  it  was  true. 

The  history  of  the  Presbyterian  principle  of 
self-government  has  thus  been  rapidly  traced  from 
the  days  of  Moses  down  to  our  own  time.  We 
hold  that  it  has  a  divine  warrant,  and  that  through 
the  ages  God  has  defended  it  in  a  marvelous  man- 
ner. We  believe  that  the  application  of  this  prin- 
ciple tends  to  the  development  of  man  to  his 
grandest  possibilities,  and  that  under  it  he  attains 
his  highest  earthly  happiness. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  consider  the  working 
of  this  principle  in  the  various  governing  bodies 
of  the  Church. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  ASSEMBLIES  OF  THE  CHURCH 

rpHE  great  principle  of  govern meDt  by  repre- 
sentative  assemblies  may  be  applied  under 
many  different  forms  and  names,  but  still  remain 
the  same.  Indeed,  this  is  the  advantage  which  a 
government  of  principle  has  over  one  of  form, 
allowing  elasticity  and  adaptability  to  the  various 
conditions  of  mankind.  Neither  the  number  nor 
the  names  of  the  assemblies  which  govern  a  Church 
are  essential  to  its  Presbyterianism.  A  body  of 
Christians  isolated  from  the  Church  by  any  cause 
might  organize  themselves  under  the  Presbyterian 
principle  and  elect  an  assembly  of  elders.  They 
might  call  it  a  Session  or  a  Consistory — which  is 
the  name  used  in  some  branches  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church — or  they  might  invent  some  other 
designation  for  it.  They  might  have  no  other 
assembly ;  a  small  body  would  need  but  one.  If 
they  grew,  they  must  have  higher  assemblies ;  con- 
tinuing  to    increase,  they    would    organize    higher 

3  -  33 


34     PRESBYTERJANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

ones  still,  until  at  last  they  would  arrive  at  the 
order  of  assemblies  which  obtains  in  most  Pres- 
byterian bodies,  and  which  is  as  follows : 

I.  The  Session,  or  Consistory  ; 
II.  The  Presbytery,  or  Classis; 

III.  The  Synod,  or  Particular  Synod; 

IV.  The  General  Assembly,  or  General 

Synod. 

All  these  are  Presbyteries,  of  different  names, 
rank  and  powers,  arranged  in  an  ascending  scale. 
First  comes  the  church  Session,  Consistory  or  low- 
est Presbytery. 

I.  The  Session. 
This  body  is  composed  of  not  less  than  two 
ruling  elders,  if  there  be  so  many,  and  the  pas- 
tor. The  number  of  elders  is  not  limited,  and 
in  some  congregations  it  is  very  large.  The 
duties  of  the  Session,  in  common  with  all  other 
assemblies  of  the  Church,  are  administrative  and 
judicial.  In  spiritual  things  no  body  of  men  on 
earth  have  any  legislative  power,  in  the  strict 
meaning  of  that  term.  The  Bible  is  the  only 
law-book  of  the  Church.  Our  Books  of  Order 
and  Deliverances  are  but  interpretations  of  divine 
law,  entitled   to  respect  and  obedience  so  long  as 


THE  ASSEMBLIES  OF  THE  CHURCH.       35 

they  conform  to  the  inspired  word,  and  liable  to 
change  whenever  change  may  seem  best  to  the 
Church.  These  interpretations  ought  to  be  ob- 
served by  all,  unless  they  violate  an  important 
principle ;  then  it  is  the  duty  of  those  who  differ  to 
endeavor  by  lawful  means  to  have  them  changed. 

The  Session  administers  for  the  congregation  in 
spiritual  things,  and  the  deacons  administer  in  tem- 
poral af^irs,  subject  to  the  review  of  the  Session. 
The  Book  of  Order  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  *  gives  the  following  summary  of 
the  duties  of  this  body. 

"  The  church  Session  is  charged  with  maintain- 
ing the  spiritual  government  of  the  church,  for 
which  purpose  it  has  power  to  inquire  into  the 
knowledge,  principles  and  Christian  conduct  of 
the  church-members  under  its  care ;  to  censure 
those  found  delinquent;  to  see  that  parents  do 
not  neglect  to  present  their  children  for  baptism ; 
to  receive  members  into  the  communion  of  the 
church ;  to  grant  letters  of  dismission  to  other 
churches,  which,  when  given  to  parents,  shall  al- 
ways include  the  names  of  their  baptized  children  ; 
to  ordain  and  install  ruling  elders  and  deacons  on 

*  The  body  embracing  mainly  the  Presbyterian  churches  in 
the  Southern  States. 


36     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

their  election  by  the  church,  and  to  require  these 
officers  to  devote  themselves  to  their  work  ;  to  ex- 
amine the  records  of  the  proceedings  of  the  dea- 
cons; to  establish  and  control  Sabbath-schools  and 
Bible  classes,  with  especial  reference  to  the  children 
of  the  church ;  to  order  collections  for  pious  uses ; 
to  take  the  oversight  of  the  singing  in  the  public 
worship  of  God ;  to  assemble  the  people  for  wor- 
ship when  there  is  no  minister ;  to  concert  the  best 
measures  for  promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of 
the  church  and  congregation ;  to  observe  and  car- 
ry out  the  lawful  injunctions  of  the  higher  courts ; 
and  to  appoint  representatives  to  the  Presbytery 
and  the  Synod,  who  shall  on  their  return  make 
report  of  their  diligence." 

The  church  Session  is  required  annually  to  send 
its  record  to  the  Presbytery  for  review. 

II.  The  Presbytery. 

This  is  the  most  important  assembly  of  the 
Church,  because  it  has  the  most  work  to  do.  It 
has  charge  of  all  the  congregations  in  a  certain  dis- 
trict, and  is  composed  of  all  the  ministers  and  one 
elder  from  every  church  in  that  district.  Quota- 
tion is  made  from  the  same  excellent  authority  as 
before  for   a  description  of  the  functions   of  this 


THE  ASSEMBLIES  OF  THE  CHURCH.        37 

body,  and  also  the  Synod  and  tlie  General  Assem- 
bly: 

"  The  Presbytery  has  power  to  receive  and  issue 
appeals,  complaints  and  references  brought  before 
it  in  an  orderly  manner ;  to  examine  and  license 
candidates  for  the  holy  ministry ;  to  receive,  dis- 
miss, ordain,  install,  remove  and  judge  ministers ; 
to  review  the  record  of  the  church  Sessions,  redress 
whatever  they  may  have  done  contrary  to  order  and 
take  effectual  care  that  they  observe  the  constitution 
of  the  Church;  to  establish  the  pastoral  relation, 
and  to  dissolve  it  at  the  request  of  one  or  both  of 
the  parties  or  where  the  interests  of  religion  im- 
peratively demand  it;  to  set  apart  evangelists  to 
their  proper  work;  to  require  ministers  to  devote 
themselves  diligently  to  their  sacred  calling  and  to 
censure  the  delinquent ;  to  see  that  the  lawful  in- 
junctions of  the  higher  courts  are  obeyed;  to  con- 
demn erroneous  opinions  which  injure  the  purity  or 
peace  of  the  church  ;  to  visit  churches  for  the  pur- 
pose of  inquiring  into  and  redressing  the  evils  that 
may  have  arisen  in  them ;  to  unite  or  divide 
churches  at  the  request  of  the  members  thereof; 
to  form  and  receive  new  churches ;  to  take  special 
oversight  of  vacant  churches ;  to  concert  measures 
for   the    enlargement    of    the  Church  within   its 


38      PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR  THE  PEOPLE. 

bouDds;  in  general,  to  order  whatever  pertains 
to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  churches  under  its 
care;  to  appoint  commissioners  to  the  General  As- 
sembly ;  and,  finally,  to  propose  to  the  Synod  or  to 
the  Assembly  such  measures  as  may  be  of  common 
advantage  to  the  Church  at  large." 

III.  The  Synod. 

This  assembly  has  under  its  care  all  the  Pres- 
byteries in  a  large  district,  corresponding,  usually, 
in  America,  with  the  area  of  a  State — for  ex- 
ample, the  Synod  of  New  York  or  the  Synod  of 
North  Carolina.  The  Synod  is  usually  composed 
of  all  the  ministers  and  one  elder  from  every  con- 
gregation in  its  bounds ;  but,  in  some  branches  of 
the  Church,  Synods  are  allowed  to  choose  between 
this  plan  and  that  of  having  its  members  appoint- 
ed by  the  Presbyteries  under  its  care. 

"  The  Synod  has  power  to  receive  and  issue  all 
appeals,  complaints  and  references  regularly  brought 
up  from  the  Presbyteries ;  to  review  the  records  of 
the  Presbyteries  and  redress  whatever  they  may  have 
done  contrary  to  order ;  to  take  effectual  care 
that  they  observe  the  constitution  of  the  Church, 
and  that  they  obey  the  lawful  injunctions  of  the 
higher  courts ;  to  erect  new  Presbyteries  and  unite 


THE  ASSEMBLIES  OF  THE  CHURCH.       '39 

or  divide  tliose  which  were  before  erected ;  to  ap- 
point ministers  to  such  work,  proper  to  their  office, 
as  may  fall  under  its  own  particular  jurisdiction; 
in  general,  to  take  such  order  with  respect  to  the 
Presbyteries,  Sessions  and  churches  under  its  care 
as  may  be  in  conformity  with  the  word  of  God  and 
the  established  rules,  and  may  tend  to  promote  the 
edification  of  the  Church ;  to  concert  measures  for 
promoting  the  prosperity  and  enlargement  of  the 
Church  within  its  bounds ;  and,  finally,  to  propose 
to  the  General  Assembly  such  measures  as  may  be 
of  common  advantage  to  the  whole  Church.  It 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Synod  to  keep  full  and 
fair  records  of  its  proceedings,  to  submit  them 
annually  to  the  inspection  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly and  to  report  to  it  the  number  of  its  Presby- 
teries and  of  the  members  thereof,  and,  in  general, 
all  important  changes  which  may  have  occurred 
within  its  bounds  during  the  year." 

IV.  The  General  Assembly. 
This  is  the  highest  authoritative  assembly  of  the 
Church.  It  meets  annually,  and  has  charge  of  all 
the  Synods  in  its  division  of  the  great  Presbyterian 
sisterhood.  It  is  composed  of  an  equal  number  of 
ministers  and  elders,  appointed  by  the  Presbyteries. 


40     FRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

If  a  Presbytery  lias  more  tliaii  twenty-four  minis- 
ters on  its  roll,  it  may  send  two  ministers  and  two 
elders,  and  in  some  branches  of  the  Church  may 
go  on  increasing  the  number  of  its  delegates  by 
two  for  every  twenty-four  ministers  in  its  member- 
ship. There  are  many  General  Assemblies,  repre-' 
senting  many  bodies  of  Presbyterians,  and  all  in- 
dependent of  one  another. 

"  The  General  Assembly  shall  have  power  to  re- 
ceive and  issue  all  appeals,  references  and  com- 
plaints regularly  brought  before  it  from  the  infe- 
rior courts  ;*  to  bear  testimony  against  error  in  doc- 
trine and  immorality  in  practice  injuriously  affect- 
ing the  Church ;  to  decide  in  all  controversies  re- 
specting doctrine  and  discipline ;  to  give  its  advice 
and  instruction,  in  conformity  with  the  constitu- 
tion, in  all  cases  submitted  to  it;  to  review  the 
records  of  the  Synods ;  to  take  care  that  the  in- 
ferior courts  observe  the  constitution ;  to  redress 
whatever  they  may  have  done  contrary  to  order; 
to  concert  measures  for  promoting  the  prosperity 
and  enlargement  of  the  Church ;  to  erect  new 
Synods ;  to  institute  and  superintend  the  agencies 

*  In  some  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Churcli  eases  of 
minor  importance  are  not  allowed  to  come  before  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  but  the  Synod's  settlement  of  them  is  final. 


THE  ASSEMBLIES  OF  THE  CHURCH       41 

necessary  in  the  general  work  of  evangelization  ; 
to  appoint  ministers  to  such  labors  as  fall  under 
its  jurisdiction;  to  suppress  schismatical  conten- 
tions and  disputations  according  to  the  rules  pro- 
vided therefor ;  to  receive  under  its  jurisdiction, 
with  the  consent  of  the  majority  of  the  Presby- 
teries, other  ecclesiastical  bodies  whose  organization 
is  conformed  to  the  doctrine  and  order  of  this 
Church ;  to  authorize  Synods  and  Presbyteries  to 
exercise  similar  power  in  receiving  bodies  suited 
to  become  constituents  of  those  courts  and  lying 
within  their  geographical  bounds  respectively ;  to 
superintend  the  affairs  of  the  whole  Church ;  to 
correspond  with  other  Churches;  and,  in  general, 
to  recommend  measures  for  the  promotion  of  char- 
ity, truth  and  holiness  through  all  the  churches 
under  its  care." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  GENERAL  COUNCIL. 

rpHIS  assembly  is  composed  of  delegates  from 
the  various  Presbyterian  or  Reformed  churches 
throughout  the  world.  It  held  its  first  regular 
meeting  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  July,  1877, 
and  will  meet  triennially  in  different  countries.  It 
has  no  authority  over  the  churches  belonging  to  it, 
but  can  only  advise.  It  is  intended  to  show  the 
world  that  the  various  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
family  are  one,  to  bring  their  united  influence  to 
bear  against  sin,  to  help  and  encourage  feeble 
churches,  and  to  arrange  for  the  formation  of  na- 
tive churches  among  the  heathen,  gathering  into 
them  the  converts  of  the  missions  of  the  various 
Presbyterian  churches. 

The  formation  of  this  body  was  earnestly  de- 
sired by  the  Reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
but  was  not  effected  until  quite  recent  times. 
Much  good  has  already  come  from  the  alliance 
of    very   many  of  the   divisions   of    tlie   Presby- 

42 


THE  GENERAL  COUNCIL.  43 

terian  bodyj  and  still  greater  results  are  confident- 
ly expected. 

The  following  is  a  catalogue  of  the  organizations 
holding  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  order  represent- 
ed by  this  council : 

CONTINENT  OF  EUEOPE. 

Austria. 
Evangelical  Keformed  Church  of  Hungary. 
Eeformed  Church  of  Moravia. 
Reformed  and  Evangelical  Church  of  Bohemia. 

Belgium. 
Union  of  Evangelical  Congregations. 

France. 
Synod  of  the  Union  of  Evangelical  Congregations. 
National  Reformed  Church. 

Italy. 
Waldensian  Church, 
Free  Church  of  Italy. 

Germany. 
Free  Reformed  Church  of  Germany. 
Old  Reformed  Church  of  East  Friesland. 

Netherlands. 
Reformed  Church  of  the  Netherlands. 
Christian  Reformed  Church  of  the  Netherlands. 

Spain. 
Spanish  Christian  Church. 


44     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

Switzerland. 
Berne  French  Cliurch. 
Evangelical  Church  of  Neuchatel. 
Keformed  Church  of  Canton  de  Vaud. 
Free  Church  of  Canton  de  Vaud. 
Eeformed  Church  of  Geneva. 

UNITED  KINGDOM  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND 
IRELAND. 

England. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  England. 

Ireland. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Ireland. 
Reformed  Church  of  Ireland. 

Scotland. 
Established  Church  of  Scotland. 
Free  Church  of  Scotland. 
United  Presbyterian  Church. 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 
Original  Secession  Church. 

Wales. 

Calvinistic  Methodist  (Presbyterian)  Church. 

BRITISH   COLONIES  AND  DEPENDENCIES. 

Canada. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada. 

Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  South  Africa. 


THE  GENERAL  COUNCIL.  45 

Ceylon. 
Presbytery  of  Ceylon. 

Eastern  Australia. 
Synod  of  Eastern  Australia, 

Natal. 
Dutch  Eeformed  Church. 
Presbytery  of  Natal. 
Christian  Eeformed  Church  of  South  Africa. 

New  Hebrides. 
Mission  Synod  of  New  Hebrides. 

New  South  Wales. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  New  South  Wales. 

New  Zealand. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  New  Zealand. 

Orange  Free  State. 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  Orange  Free  State. 

Otago  and  Southland. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Otago  and  Southland. 

Queensland. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Queensland. 

South  Australia. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  South  Australia. 

Tasmania. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Tasmania. 

Victoria. 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Victoria. 


46     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

UNITED  STATES. 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  (North- 
ern). 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  (Southern). 
Reformed  (Dutch)  Church  in  America. 
Reformed  (German)  Church  in  the  United  States. 
Associate  Reformed  Synod  of  the  South. 
General  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church. 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  in  America. 
United  Presbyterian  Church  of  North  America. 
Welsh    Calvinistic  Methodist    (or  Presbyterian)  Church    in 
America. 

These  Presbyterian  bodies,  scattered  all  over  the 
globe,  incliidiiig  above  forty  millions  of  people, 
have  at  last,  in  "The  General  Alliance  of  Ee- 
formed  or  Presbyterian  Churches,'^  found  a  tie 
which  binds  them  together.  It  is  proposed  thus 
to  combine  our  forces,  to  magnify  our  grand  in- 
stitutions of  government  and  theology,  and  to  re- 
move the  stigma  of  discord  which  has  so  often 
been  affixed  to  the  Presbyterian  name. 

But  there  is  a  higher  name  than  Presbyterian. 
It  is  Christian.  Under  that  name  all  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  at  last  shall  be  One. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BEACONS. 

rpHESE  officers  were  unknown  in  the  Church  of 
-*•  God  until  the  time  of  the  apostles.  In  Acts 
vi.  is  given  an  account  of  the  election  of  the  first 
Deacons.  Being  elected  by  the  people,  they  come 
under  the  definition  of  Presbyterianism. 

The  elders,  having  charge  of  the  spiritual  con- 
cerns of  the  Church,  could  not  give  to  temporal 
matters  the  time  and  attention  they  deserved ;  so 
they  called  upon  the  people  to  select  "  seven  men 
of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  wis- 
dom, whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  business. 
But  we  will  give  ourselves  continually  to  prayer 
and  to  the  ministry  of  the  word.  And  the  saying 
pleased  the  whole  multitude;  and  they  chose 
Stephen,  a  man  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  Philip  and  Prochorus,  and  Nicanor, 
and  Timon  and  Parmenas  and  Nicholas,  a  pros- 
elyte of  Antioch  :  whom  they  set  before  the  apos- 

47 


48     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

ties;  and  when  they  had  prayed,  they  laid  their 
hands  on  them." 

The  office  thus  instituted  was  extended  over  the 
whole  Church,  and  has  continued  in  the  Presby- 
terian body  unto  this  day. 

The  Deacons  are  subordinate  to  the  Session,  as 
the  Session  is  subordinate  to  the  Presbytery.  Ex- 
cept the  highest  of  all,  there  is  no  assembly  which 
is  not  subject  to  the  review  of  a  higher  body.  The 
work  of  the  Deacons  is  to  have  care  of  the  poor, 
the  sick,  prisoners,  the  property  of  the  church  and 
the  money  contributed  for  pious  uses.  This  office 
has  proved  of  immense  benefit  in  the  Church,  and 
should  be  honored  by  those  who  occupy  it,  a-s  well 
as  by  the  people  wdiom  they  serve. 

In  some  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
godly  women  have  been  set  apart  to  assist  in  the 
work  of  the  Deacons,  as  among  the  sick  and  the 
poor  there  are  many  duties  pertaining  to  this  of- 
fice   which   can   be  better  discharged   by  females. 

The  divine  authority  for  this  office  is  derived 
principally  from  Romans  xvi.  1,  2 :  "I  commend 
unto  you  Phoebe  our  sister,  which  is  a  servant"  (a 
"  deacon  "  in  the  original)  "  of  the  church  which  is 
at  Cenchrea:  that  ye  receive  her  in  the  Lord,  as  bo- 
cometh  saints,  and  that  ye  assist  her  in  whatsoever 


DEACONS.  49 

business  she  hath  need  of  you :  for  she  hath  been  a 
succorer  of  many,  and  of  myself  also/' 

Because  this  office  was  perverted  and  grievously 
abused  by  the  Roman  Church  it  was  generally 
abandoned  by  Protestants  at  the  Reformation^  but 
it  is  now  being  slowly  reinstated  by  the  Church  in 
various  parts  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER  X. 
PRESBYTERIANISM  IN  OTHER   CHURCHES. 

TN  the  history  of  nations  there  has  been,  as  before 
stated,  two  great  principles  of  government  con- 
tending from  the  beginning,  monarchy  and  repub- 
licanism. In  the  one  case,  the  people  belong  to 
their  rulers ;  in  the  other,  the  rulers  belong  to  the 
people.  Under  a  monarchy  the  people  are  the  ser- 
vants, but  in  a  republic  they  are  the  masters.  Re- 
j)ublicanism  has  the  endorsement  of  God  in  the 
fact  that  the  government  of  his  people,  as  he  or- 
ganized it  at  first,  was  on  that  principle,  and  after 
they  demanded  a  king  in  their  civil  administration 
self-government  was  still  maintained  in  their  re- 
ligious institutions. 

In  1  Sam.  viii.  we  have  an  account  of  the  change 
in  the  government  of  the  people  of  Israel :  "  The 
elders  of  Israel "  said  to  Samuel  the  prophet  '^  make 
us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all  the  nations."  '^The 
thing  displeased  Samuel,"  and  he  told  the  Lord, 
who  said  to  him,   "  They  have   not   rejected  thee, 

50 


PRESBYTERIANISM  IN  OTHER   CHURCHES.    51 

but  they  have  rejected  me."  Then  follows  a  cata- 
logue of  those  royal  oppressions  which  would  come 
upon  them  for  rejecting  the  government  ordained 
of  God,  and  for  committing  authority  into  the 
hands  of  one  man.  In  vs.  17,  18,  God  says,  "And 
ye  shall  be  his  servants,  and  ye  shall  cry  out  in  that 
day  because  of  your  king,  which  ye  shall  have 
chosen  you :  and  the  Lord  will  not  hear  you  in  that 
day."  The  people  had  reason  bitterly  to  repent  of 
their  folly  in  thus  surrendering  God-given  rights 
into  the  hands  of  a  king. 

The  tendency  of  monarchy,  when  unrestrained 
by  constitutions  and  representative  assemblies,  is  to 
stereotype  the  institutions  and  condition  of  a  peo- 
ple, while  self-government  encourages  progress.  As 
civilization  has  advanced  men  have  always  demand- 
ed liberty  and  a  voice  in  their  own  government. 
In  some  cases  this  has  caused  sudden  revolutions 
and  great  bloodshed.  The  demand  has  not  always 
been  wisely  made,  as  in  the  French  Revolution. 
The  French  kings,  infatuated  with  an  idea  that 
they  ruled  by  "divine  right,"  believed  that  the 
people  were  their  property,  and  oppressed  them 
through  many  generations.  At  last,  in  the  reign 
of  Louis  XVI.,  the  downtrodden  masses  arose  in 
their    might   and    overthrew  the   monarchy.     This 


62     PRESBYTEBIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

was  right,  and  they  ought  to  have  stopped  with 
dethroning  the  king,  but  they  were  so  maddened 
by  tyranny  and  poverty  that  they  beheaded  their 
unfortunate  sovereign.  The  same  history  was  en- 
acted in  England  wlieii  Charles  I.  was  put  to  death. 
As  knowledgie  increases  ainouii:  tiiem  men  become 
independent  and  are  unwilling  to  be  oppressed. 
They  feel  that  they  have  a  right  to  decide  who 
shall  rule  over  them;  they  gradually  learn  that 
the  government  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  people, 
and  not  the  people  for  the  benefit  of  the  government ; 
and  at  last  they  demand  the  right  to  elect  their  own 
rulers.  This  is  the  fundamental  principle  of  all 
republics ;  and  it  is  the  pr-inciple,  not  the  form, 
which  constitutes  the  real  government.  Great 
Britain  is  a  monarchy  in  form,  but  it  is  more  of 
a  republic  in  principle.  The  people  elect  their  own 
Parliament,  and  the  Parliament  makes  the  laws.  In 
the  British  government  there  are  left  many  traces 
of  the  old  monarchical  principle,  but  they  are  slow- 
ly being  submerged  under  the  advance  of  know- 
ledge. In  France,  under  Napoleon  I.,  the  govern- 
ment was  in  form  a  republic,  but  in  principle  and 
reality  a  despotism.  He  was  called  "the  republi- 
can emperor."  By  gradual  encroachments  this 
splendid  tyrant  had  absorbed  in  himself  the  power 


PRESBYTERIANISM  IN  OTHER   CHURCHES.     53 

of  government,  until  what  was  republican  in  form 
became  extremely  monarchical  in  principle.  At 
last  it  was  overthrown.  With  regard  to  govern- 
ment, there  is  little  in  a  name. 

The  great  'principle  of  republicanism  is  what 
mankind  contend  for,  and  not  a  name  or  a  form  ; 
so,  when  the  British  people  got  liberty  to  elect  tlicir  -^ 
their  own  rulers,  tliey  did  not  care  enough  for  the 
name  of  a  monarchy  to  fight  about  it.  They  had 
the  substance  of  a  republic,  and  wisely  left  the 
name  to  take  care  of  itself. 

Presbyterian  ism  is  ecclesiastical  republicanism. 
The  name  is  of  little  value  as  compared  with  the 
great  principle  for  which,  in  Church  and  in  State, 
martyrs  have  died.  The  Presbyterian  Church  has 
not  the  monopoly  of  this  principle  among  the  de- 
nominations. Presbyterianism  is  the  opposite  of 
episcopacy,  and  yet  it  can  be  conceived  that  the 
republican  principle  might  grow  up  in  the  Epis- 
copal Church  and  that  it  might  die  out  of  the 
Presbyterian  body.  It  may  also  be  conceived  that 
neither  denomination  should  be  wholly  Episcopal 
or  wholly  Presbyterian — that  the  two  principles  of 
monarchy  and  republicanism  should  exist  together 
in  the  same  body.  But  one  must  predominate. 
This   is   really   the   state   of   the   case.     There   is 


54     PRESBYTERIANTSM  FOR    THE  PEOPLE. 

no  Church  or  State  government  which  is  purely 
monarchical  or  purely  republican.  The  Roman 
Catholic  Church  is  a  monarchy  in  form  and 
in  predominating  principle,  but  yet  the  people 
elect  some  of  their  lower  officers.  The  Church  of 
England  is  monarchical  in  form,  but  the  principle 
of  republicanism  has  been  gradually  making  its 
way  in  the  body,  until  now  the  people  have  almost 
as  much  power  as  the  clergy.  The  same  statement 
may  be  made  with  reference  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  The  principle  of  republicanism  has 
made  remarkable  encroachments  upon  this  great  de- 
nomination. True,  the  bishops  still  have  the  pow- 
er of  appointing  and  removing  pastors,  which  is 
monarchical,  but  when  agreeable  to  the  people  they 
are  allowed  to  remain  much  longer  in  one  charge 
than  formerly,  and  a  strong  sentiment  is  growing  up 
in  favor  of  their  permanent  settlement.  Of  more 
importance  is  the  fact  that  the  election  of  their  low- 
er officers  is  with  the  people.  These  officers  go  on 
and  elect  higher  ones,  called  bishops,  who  are  vested 
with  greater  powers  than  belong  to  the  rulers  of 
a  spiritual  republic.  It  is  a  republican  house  with 
a  monarchical  roof. 

The  Congregational  and  Baptist   denominations 
have  been  making  progress  toward  republicanism. 


PRESBYTERIANISM  IN  OTHER   CHURCHES.    55 

They  were  at  first  almost  pure  democracies — that 
is,  people  without  any  rulers,  people  who  made 
their  own  laws  and  administered  them  without  the 
intervention  of  anything  more  than  mere  commit- 
tees. The  need  of  greater  authority  has  caused 
these  officers  to  take  power  into  their  hands,  but 
always  with  the  consent  of  the  people.  Some  dis- 
tinguished Baptist  ministers — Spurgeon  and  others 
— have  advised  that  their  Associations  and  con- 
ventions be  clothed  with  presbyterial,  congressional 
or  parliamentary  power — that  is  to  say,  with  judi- 
cial and  administrative  authority. 

This  process  will  go  on.  It  will  sometimes  be 
temporarily  checked  or  turned  backward  for  a  brief 
period,  but  the  gravitation  of  history  is  toward  re- 
publicanism in  Church  and  in  State.  This  is  not 
directly  the  effect  of  the  example  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  though  other  churches  are  indirectly 
indebted  to  that  denomination.  Geneva  has  been 
justly  called  "  the  Mother  of  Modern  Republics," 
and  every  historian  knows  that  Presbyterian  ism 
was  the  mother  of  Geneva. 

The  logic  of  experience,  which  causes  men  to 
consider  what  is  the  best  way  to  manage  affairs,  has 
caused  them  to  gravitate,  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
government,  toward  republicanism.     They  seek  lib- 


56     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

erty,  which  they  cannot  have  under  a  civil  or  eccle- 
siastical monarchy  or  oligarchy,  and  they  desire  ef- 
ficiency, which  is  hardly  attainable  in  a  pure  de- 
mocracy ;  so  they  are  adopting  the  middle  principle 
of  appointing  representatives  and  giving  them  pow- 
er to  rule,  holding  them  responsible  for  their  con- 
duct of  the  affairs  of  government.  The  study 
of  the  inspired  word  with  its  expansive  truths, 
that  enlarge  the  range  of  man's  thinking  and 
teach  him  to  believe  himself  a  son  of  God ;  the 
spirit  of  universal  charity,  which  animates  the 
whole  body  of  Christians,  causing  them  to  do 
as  they  would  have  others  do  unto  them;  and 
the  example  of  Scripture  precedents, — have  all 
conspired  to  republicanize  Churches  and  States. 
Indeed,  it  is  hardly  possible  that  a  commu- 
nity can  be  thoroughly  Christian  without  in  the 
course  of  time  becoming  in  some  degree  repub- 
lican. 

Under  the  operation  of  these  influences  the 
Churches  have  been  unconsciously  approximating 
toward  a  common  centre.  By  whatever  ways  they 
have  come,  it  is  certain  that  they  are  nearer  to- 
gether than  ever  before.  May  we  dare  to  hope 
for  a  time  when  the  denominations  shall  be 
like    the   States   of    the    American    Union — free. 


PRESBYTERIANISM  IN  OTHER   CHURCHES.    57 

liarraonious  and  independent,  but  one  in  a  grand 
spiritual  confedemtion  for  one  another's  help  and 
for  the  conquest  of  the  world  ?  The  convergence 
of  events  seems  to  point  to  that  splendid  consum- 
mation. 


PART  II. 


CHAPTER  I. 
PRESBYTERIAN  THEOLOGY. 

"  For  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by  siglit."— 2  CoR.  v.  7. 

QALYATION  by  faith  in  a  divine  Sa- 
^  viouR  WHO  died  for  MEN  is  the  great 
central  truth  of  our  holy  religion,  and  it  is  held 
by  all  evangelical  Churches.  If  a  man  believes^ 
this  doctrine,  he  is  a  Christian,  and  any  denomi- 
nation which  really  holds  to  it  is  a  Christian 
Church.  The  differences  between  evangelical. 
Churches,  while  important,  are  not  as  the  things 
necessary  to  the  salvation  of  the  soul. 

In  the  present  condition  of  the  world  it  is  well 
that  there  should  be  several  denominations.  There 
is  more  work  done,  and  better  work,  than  if  all 
Christians  were  in  one  organization.  Now,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  maintain  the  subdivisions  ne- 
cessary for  efficiency  without  differences  of  opinion. 
There  must  be  various  centres  of  thought  around 
which  men  may  rally.  There  is  a  certain  theologi- 
cal system  called  Arminianism,  another  called  Cal- 

61 


62     PRKSBYTERTANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

vinism,  and  there  are  different  systems  of  govern- 
ment and  modes  of  worship,  all  of  which  con- 
tribute to  form  the  denominations  into  which,  un- 
der the  providence  of  God,  the  Church  has  been 
divided.  The  unity  of  the  Church  may  be  suf- 
ficiently realized  by  magnifying  our  common  belief 
in  the  great  truths  of  redemption,  and  in  exhibiting 
at  all  times  a  charity,  greater  than  faith  and  hope, 
which  will  shut  the  mouths  of  our  enemies  and  com- 
mand the  respect  of  the  world.  One  of  the  best 
signs  of  our  times  is  the  fact  that  most  denomina- 
tions now  recognize  one  another's  churchship  and 
work  together  harmoniously  for  the  glory  of  Christ 
in  the  redemption  of  mankind. 

But  it  is  necessary  that  each  division  of  the  great 
army  of  Christians  should  be  instructed  in  the  things 
peculiar  to  itself,  and  ought  not  to  be  considered 
uncharitable  if  it  exhibits  and  defends  those  dis- 
tinctive institutions  which  give  it  being.  There  is 
also  need  of  a  brief  exposition  of  Presbyterian  doc- 
trines, from  the  fact  that  there  has  been  some  mis- 
understanding among  other  peoples  as  to  what  Ave 
really  believe.  For  example,  we  have  been  accused 
of  teaching  the  damnation  of  infants  who  die  in 
infancy.  Though  such  a  statement  may  seem  un- 
necessary, it  is  now  most  emphatically  made :  The 


PRESBYTERfAN  THEOLOGY.  63 

Presbyterian  Church  holds  and  teaches  that  all  who 
die  in  infancy  are  saved. 

The  following  is  given  as  a  general  outline  of 
Presbyterian  theology.  Some  parts  of  it  are  taken 
from  an  old  formula,  of  unknown  authorship,  and 
two  articles  from  the  Westminster  Catechism: 

Summary  of  Doctrines. 

I.  There  is  one  God,  the  Creator,  Preserver  and 
Governor  of  the  universe,  who  is  possessed  of  every 
natural  and  moral  perfection. 

II.  This  God  exists  in  three  Persons,  the  Father, 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  same  in  essence 
and  equal  in  all  divine  attributes. 

III.  The  Scriptures  contained  in  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  were  given  by  inspiration  of 
God  and  furnish  a  perfect  rule  of  faith  and  prac- 
tice. 

lY.  God  created  Adam  perfectly  holy  and  con- 
stituted him  the  representative  of  all  his  posterity, 
suspending  their  moral  character  and  legal  relation 
on  his  probationary  conduct. 

V.  In  consequence  of  Adam's  fall  all  mankind 
are  in  a  state  of  total  moral  depravity  and  are  un- 
der condemnation. 

VI.  The   Lord   Jesus  Christ,  who  is  God  and 


64     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

man,  by  his  sufferings  and  death  has  made  atone- 
ment for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 

VII.  Through  the  atonement  salvation  is  freely- 
offered  to  all  sinners  in  the  gospel ;  and  though 
they  are  free  to  accept,  yet  they  naturally  reject, 
this  gracious  offer,  and  refuse  to  come  to  Christ 
that  they  might  have  eternal  life. 

VIII.  God  the  Spirit,  by  an  act  of  special  sov- 
erign  grace,  renews  the  hearts  of  all  the  elect  and 
causes  them  to  accept  the  salvation  of  the  gospel. 

IX.  The  foundation  of  the  elects'  forgiveness  and 
redemption  is  the  atonement  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  received  and  rested  on  in  faith. 

X.  God  promises  to  preserve  from  final  apos- 
tasy all  who  have  been  renewed  in  their  souls,  and 
to  conduct  them,  through  sanctification  and  belief 
of  the  truth,  into  the  kingdom  of  glory. 

XI.  All  men  who  hear  the  good  news  of  the 
gospel  and  come  to  Christ  will  be  saved.  God  from 
all  eternity  has  foreordained  whatsoever  comes  to 
pass,  and  yet  man  is  free  to  accept  or  reject  God's 
offers  of  mercy. 

XII.  God  has  appointed  a  day,  at  the  end  of  the 
present  order  of  things,  in  which  he  will  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  will 
receive  those  that  believe  on  him   into  everlasting 


PRESBYTERIAN  THEOLOGY.  65 

happiness  and  sentence  the  wicked  unto  everlasting 
punishment. 

XIII.  The  Lord's  Supper  is  a  sacrament,  wherein, 
by  giving  and  receiving  bread  and  wine  according 
to  Christ's  appointment,  his  death  is  showed  forth, 
and  the  worthy  receivers  are,  not  after  a  corporal 
and  carnal  manner,  but  by  faith,  made  partakers  of 
his  body  and  blood,  with  all  his  benefits,  to  their 
spiritual  nourishment  and  growth  in  grace. 

XIV.  Baptism  is  a  sacrament  wherein  the  wash- 
ing with  water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  doth  signify  and  seal  our  in- 
grafting into  Christ  and  partaking  of  the  benefits 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  our  engagement  to 
be  the  Lord's. 

XV.  It  is  required  of  the  officers  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  to  accept  the  system  of  doctrines 
of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  but  persons  are  ad- 
mitted as  private  membei's  on  a  simple  profession  of 
faith  in  Christ,  a  promise  of  obedience  to  him  and 
conformity  to  the  rules  of  the  Church.  Whatever 
admits  a  man  into  heaven  ought  to  admit  him  into 
the  communion  of  the  Church  on  earth. 

The  greater  part  of  this  system  of  doctrine  is 
held  by  all  Christians,  but  there  are  a  few  import- 

5 


66     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE, 

ant  points  in  which  we  differ  from  other  denomi- 
nations. 

The  Presbyterian  system  of  theology  has  been 
called  Augustinian  because  it  was  first  fully  elab- 
orated by  Augustine  in  the  fifth  century,  and  Cal- 
vinistic  because  its  greatest  modern  expositor  was 
John  Calvin,  in  the  sixteenth  century.  The  most 
complete  statement  of  these  doctrines  was  made  by 
the  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines,  in  the  sev- 
enteenth century,  in  a  ^'  Confession  of  Faith  ^'  which 
has  become  the  standard  of  nearly  all  English- 
speaking  Presbyterians. 


CHAPTER  II. 
PECULIARITIES  OF  CALVINISM. 

niHE  distinctive  features  of  this  system  of  the- 
ology  are  three — viz. : 

(1)  The  supremacy  of  God  in  all  things ; 

(2)  The  total  depravity  of  man  ; 

(3)  God's  election  of  the  saved. 

While  this  system  exalts  God,  it  humbles  man. 
It  has  been  the  object  of  many  fierce  attacks.  It 
has  never  been  popular  with  the  world,  yet  it  has 
inspired  the  grandest  struggles  ever  made  for  the 
truth  and  for  human  liberty.  Strong  doctrine  is 
required  to  make  strong  characters,  and  strong  cha- 
racters are  necessary  in  the  great  warfare  against 
sin.  What  would  the  Reformation  have  been  with- 
out Calvin  in  Switzerland  and  Knox  in  Scotland  ? 
In  contending  for  the  doctrines  called  Calvinistic 
they  worked  out  the  conditions  of  a  civilization 
grander  than  any  other  the  world  has  seen.  These 
doctrines  have  been  called  hard,  but  God  made  them, 
and  for  the  salvation  of  men.     We  must  be  brought 

67 


68     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

to  feel  a  sense  of  our  own  helplessness  ;  man's  proud 
spirit  must  be  humbled,  and  then  he  is  ready  to 
cry  out  for  mercy.  The  tendency  of  Calvinistic 
theology  is  also  to  promote  the  comfort  of  Chris- 
tians. When  Christians  plant  their  feet  upon  God's 
eternal  decree,  they  may  set  the  world,  the  flesh 
and  the  devil  at  defiance. 

Election  and  Free  Agency. 

Presbyterians  also  believe  in  the  freedom  of  man. 
We  are  often  treated  as  if  we  did  not ;  we  are  ac- 
cused of  teaching  that  a  man  can  and  must  do  noth- 
ing for  his  salvation.  We  are  called  fatalists.  But 
we  do  believe  in  the  freedom  of  man;  we  preach  it; 
it  underlies  every  proclamation  of  pardon ;  it  is 
embodied  in  every  invitation  of  mercy.  How  man 
can  be  free  and  God  supreme  is  a  question  which 
perhaps  Michael  could  not  answer;  certainly  we 
cannot.  We  are  not  bound  to  answer  it.  Our 
duty  is  to  accept  all  that  God  reveals,  and  to  trust 
him  for  what  is  not  revealed.  He  has  revealed  both 
these  doctrines,  but  not  the  reconciliation  of  them. 
Our  ignorance  is  the  cause  of  the  difficulty.  "  We 
know  in  part"  (1  Cor.  xiii.   9). 

An  illustration  may  help  us  to  understand,  not 
the  difficulty,  but  lohere  it  lies — in  our  igyiorancs. 


PECULIARITIES  OF  CALVINISM.  69 

Six  hundred  and  forty  years  before  Christ,  Thales 
discovered  that  the  world  was  round.  He  is  said 
to  have  been  at  that  time  the  only  man  who  knew 
this  great  fact.  Suppose  he  had  declared  to  the 
people,  who  were  in  ignorance,  "  I  can  travel  east- 
ward, never  turning  to  the  right  or  left,  and,  keep- 
ing straight  on,  come  back  to  the  point  from  which 
I  set  out."  He  might  have  gone  farther  and  said, 
"  By  traveling  westward  I  can  return  to  this  place 
without  changing  my  course."  The  people  would 
have  answered,  "  Thales,  it  is  absurd  !  Your  two 
statements  contradict  each  other;  they  cannot  be 
reconciled,  and  we  will  not  believe  them."  They 
supposed  the  world  was  flat,  and  in  their  ignorance 
it  was  indeed  impossible  for  them  to  understand  the 
two  statements  of  Thales ;  but  they  were  true^  nev- 
ertheless. The  truth  of  a  thing  does  not  depend 
upon  our  ability  to  comprehend  it.  If  Thales  had 
gone  on  and  told  them  that  the  world  was  round, 
the  difficulty  would  have  vanished  at  once.  Before, 
they  "  knew  in  part."  But  Thales's  children  would 
have  believed  him  without  explanation,  because  he 
was  their  father.  So  God\s  children  must  believe 
him,  even  when  they  cannot  understand. 

The  Primitive  Baptists   reject   free  agency   be- 
cause they  cannot  reconcile  it  with  election.     Some 


70      PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR  THE  PEOPLE. 

Arniinians  reject  election  because  they  cannot  re- 
concile it  with  free  agency.  But  Presbyterians 
hold  both  doctrines,  confessing  their  inability  to 
reconcile  them  because  of  the  finiteness  of  human 
comprehension,  yet  declaring  that  it  is  enough  for 
them  to  know  that  both  doctrines  are  taught  in 
God's  word.  These  doctrines,  however  difficult,  are 
held  by  four-fifths  of  the  whole  Protestant  world. 
Why?    Because  "Thus  saith  the  Lord." 

"  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  re- 
ceive the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  therein  '^  (Luke  xviii.  17). 


CHAPTER  III. 

CALVINISM  ANB  SELF-GOVERNMENT. 

rpHE  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  Arminian ;  the 
Episcopal  Church  is  Calvinistic  in  its  creed 
and  Arminian  in  its  clergy ;  the  Methodist  Church 
is  Arminian  in  its  clergy  and  creed.  The  Episco- 
pal Church  has  a  formula,  called  the  "  Thirty-nine 
Articles/'  which  is  Calvinistic,  but  the  greater  part 
of  the  Church  has  grown  away  from  it,  and  Ar- 
minianism  is  preached  from  nearly  all  its  pulpits. 
In  churches  organized  on  the  monarchical  or  oli- 
garchical principle  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism  can- 
not live.  In  proportion  as  the  rulers  absorb  pow- 
er into  themselves  the  Church  becomes  Arminian. 
The  greater  the  authority  of  the  clergy,  the  deep- 
er the  shade  of  this  doctrine.  Consequently,  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  is  the  most  Arminian  of 
all,  because  it  is  the  most  thoroughly  monarchical. 
Albert  Barnes,  a  great  American  writer,  says, 
"There  are  no  permanent  Arminian  Presbyteries, 

71 


72     PRESBYTERIAN WM  FOR    THE  PEOPLE. 

Synods,  General  Assemblies,  on  earth.  There  is 
no  instance  where  this  belief  takes  on  the  Presby- 
terian form.  There  are  no  Presbyterian  forms  of 
ecclesiastical  administration  where  it  wonld  be  long 
retained."  *  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  conspicuous 
fact  that  the  Churches  in  which  the  principle  of 
self-government  is  maintained  are  all  Calvinistic. 
It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  those  Churches  which  are 
most  nearly  approximating  toward  ecclesiastical  re- 
publicanism are  becoming  more  Calvinistic  in  their 
theology.  The  two  great  distinctive  features  of  the 
Presbyterian  or  Reformed  Church  are  Calvinism  and 
self-government.  Wherever  the  Church  is  estab- 
lished, these  are  its  peculiarities. 

The  connection  of  these  two  principles  of  gov- 
ernment and  theology  is  by  no  means  accidental. 
There  is  a  strong  moral  twinship  between  them. 
One  cannot  long  exist  without  the  other,  and  minds 
which  are  constructed  to  believe  one  almost  uni- 
formly accept  both.  After  a  man  has  contemplated 
the  Calvinistic  conception  of  Grod — a  Being  abso- 
lutely supreme  over  all  creation,  everywhere  pres- 

*  For  this  and  several  other  quotations  in  this  chapter  we 
are  indebted  to  a  valuable  book  called  Calvinism  in  History,  by 
the  Kev.  N.  S.  McFetridge,  D.  D.  (Presbyterian  Board  of  Pub- 
lication, Philadelphia). 


CALVINISM  AND  SELF-GOVERNMENT.       73 

ent  and  everywhere  almighty,  one  who  decrees 
alike  the  death  of  a  sparrow  and  the  downfall  of 
an  empire — he  turns  a  wearied  gaze  on  human 
grandeur.  What  are  earthly  })otentates  compared 
to  his  God !  All  human  distinctions  sink  to  a 
level  before  this  awful  majesty,  and  he  feels  "  the 
rich  and  the  poor  meet  together :  the  Lord  is  the 
Maker  of  them  all "  (Pro v.  xxii.  2). 

The  history  of  Calvinism  is  the  history  of  self- 
government.  Beginning  with  Geneva  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  trace  the  progress  of  this  great  in- 
stitution of  human  liberty  through  the  changes  of 
three  hundred  years.  Says  Renan,  the  unbelieving 
French  author,  "  Paul  begat  Augustine,  and  A  ugus- 
tine  begat  Calvin.'^  He  meant  it  as  sarcasm,  but 
it  is  a  splendid  compliment  to  the  last  two  names; 
and  it  is  true.  Calvin  discovered  in  the  Bible  the 
great  foundation  of  all  theology — God's  absolute 
supremacy ;  he  found  it  where  Augustine  found  it 
— where  it  had  been  since  Paul  by  inspiration  wrote 
it;  and  he  built  upon  it  the  most  powerful  system 
of  theology  ever  constructed.  Froude,  the  histo- 
rian, says,  "Calvinism  is  the  spirit  which  rises  in  re- 
volt against  all  untruth.  It  is  but  the  inflashing 
upon  the  conscience  of  the  laws  by  which  mankind 
are  governed — laws   which   exist  whether  we   ac- 


74     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEJOPLE. 

knowledge  them  or  deny  them,  and  will  have  their 
way  to  our  own  weal  or  woe  according  to  the  at- 
titude in  which  we  place  ourselves  toward  them  ;  in- 
herent, like  the  laws  of  gravity,  in  the  nature  of 
things ;  not  made  by  us,  not  to  be  altered  by  us, 
but  to  be  discerned  by  us  and  obeyed  by  us  at  our 
everlasting  peril."  Calvin  felt  the  power  of  this 
colossal  truth  in  his  soul,  and  it  became  the  inspi- 
ration of  his  life ;  he  never  flinched  before  tyranny, 
but  continually  Avaged  war  against  it,  and  in  Gen- 
eva developed  a  republic  in  Church  and  in  State 
which  has  been  the  model  of  all  similar  institutions 
since. 

Holland  was  liberated  by  Calvinism.  Never 
until  these  doctrines  took  possession  did  that  coun- 
try prevail  against  Spain.  William  the  Silent  be- 
came a  strong  Calvinist.  Then  he  conquered,  be- 
cause Calvinism  allied  him,  as  he  believed,  with  the 
Almighty.  "  If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against 
us  ?"  Motley  writes  :  "  It  would  certainly  be  un- 
just and  futile  to  detract  from  the  vast  debt  which 
the  Dutch  republic  owed  to  the  Genevan  Church, 
The  earliest  and  most  eloquent  preachers,  the  most 
impassioned  converts,  the  sublimest  martyrs,  had 
lived,  preached,  fought,  suffered  and  died  with  the 
precepts  of  Calvin  in  their  hearts.     TJiefire  ivhich 


CALVINISM  AND  SELF  GOVERNMENT.       75 

had  consumed  the  last  vestige  of  royal  and  sacerdotal 
despotism  thr'oughout  the  independent  republic  had 
been  lighted  by  the  hands  of  Calvinists. 

"Throughout  the  blood-stained  soil  of  France, 
too/'  writes  this  historian,  "the  men  who  were 
fighting  the  same  great  battles  as  were  the  Nether- 
landers  against  Philip  II.  and  the  Inquisition,  the 
valiant  cavaliers  of  Dauphiny  and  Provence,  knelt 
on  the  ground  before  the  battle,  smote  their  iron 
breasts  with  mailed  hands,  uttered  a  Calvinistic 
prayer,  sang  a  song  of  Marot,  and  then  charged 
npon  Guise  and  upon  Joyeuse  under  the  white 
plume  of  the  Bearnese.  And  it  was  upon  the  Cal- 
vinistic weavers  and  clothiers  of  Rochelle  the  great 
prince  relied  in  the  hour  of  danger,  as  much  as  on 
his  mounted  chivalry. 

"  In  England,  too/'  continues  Motley,  "  the  seeds 
of  liberty,  wrapped  up  in  Calvinism  and  hoarded 
through  many  trying  years,  were  at  last  destined  to 
float  over  land  and  sea,  and  to  bear  the  largest  har- 
vests of  temperate  freedom  for  the  great  common- 
wealths that  were  still  unborn.''  Henry  VIII.  did 
not  7'efo7^m  the  English  Church  :  he  merely  cut  it 
off  from  Rome.  The  Reformation  of  that  Church 
was  done  by  Calvinists.  "  The  Lambeth  Articles/' 
drawn  up  under  the  authority  of  Elizabeth,  "affirm 


76     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 


the  Calviiiistic  doctrines  with  a  distinctness  whicli 


J 


^/would  shock  many  in  our  age  who  are  reputed  Cal- 
vinists.''  But  England  was  still  under  a  despotism. 
With  difficulty,  a  body  of  Calvinists  called  Puri- 
tans were  preparing,  in  the  providence  of  God,  for 
the  liberation  of  the  people.  Gromwell  with  the  Pu- 
ritans destroyed  the  despotism  of  centuries.  True, 
after  Cromwell  passed  away,  the  horrid  spectre  again 
made  its  appearance ;  but  it  was  too  late :  the  peo- 
ple had  seen  liberty,  and  under  the  guiding  genius 
of  William  III.,  the  Calvinist,  the  "  divine  right 
of  kings ''  met  its  final  overthrow,  and  the  grand 
principle  of  self-government  was  for  ever  fixed  in 
the  British  constitution. 

Turning  to  Scotland,  we  discover  a  great  per- 
sonality towering  above  all  others — John  Knox, 
the  greatest  benefactor  that  country  ever  had.  He 
had  learned  theology  under  Calvin  in  Geneva,  and 
he  had  tasted  Romanism  as  a  galley-slave  in  France. 
Froude  says  of  him,  "  No  grander  figure  can  be 
found  in  the  entire  history  of  the  Reformation  in 
this  island  than  John  Knox.  The  time  has  come 
when  English  history  must  do  justice  to  one  but 
for  whom  the  Refonnation  would  have  been  overthrown 
among  ourselves,  for  the  spirit  which  Knox  created 
saved  Scotland ;  and  if  Scotland  had  been  Catholic 


CALVINISM  AND  SELF-GOVERNMENT.       77 

again,  neither  the  wisdom  of  Elizabeth^s  ministers, 
nor  the  teaching  of  her  bishops,  nor  her  own  chi- 
caneries, would  have  preserved  England  from  revo- 
lution. He  was  the  voice  which  taught  the  peasant 
of  the  Lothians  that  he  was  a  free  man — the  equal, 
in  the  sight  of  God,  of  the  proudest  peer  or  prelate 
that  had  trampled  on  his  forefathers." 

Thomas  Carlyle  writes :  "  This  that  John  Knox 
did  for  his  nation,  I  say,  we  may  really  call  a  resur- 
rection as  from  death.  ...  He  is  the  one  Scotch- 
man to  whom,  of  all  others,  his  country  and  the 
world  owe  a  debt." 

Thus  it  is  seen  by  the  testimony  of  men  who 
were  not  Presbyterians  that  those  who  fought  the 
great  battles  of  human  liberty  were  inspired  by  the 
doctrines  of  Calvinism. 

These  principles  of  self-government  having  been 
worked  out  in  Geneva,  France,  Holland,  England 
and  Scotland,  the  time  came  for  their  establishment 
in  other  lands.  There  w^as  a  new  world  in  the  West 
to  be  colonized  and  developed.  The  Catholics  took 
the  southern  part,  and  the  Calvinists  the  northern. 
South  America,  Central  America  and  the  West  In- 
dies have  stagnated  under  Catholic  influence,  while 
the  United  States  and  Canada  have  continually  gone 
forward  in  progress.     The  free  institutions  of  this 


78     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

country  have  been  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed  of 
all  nations.  Coming  to  North  America,  they  have 
found  liberty  to  think  and  to  act  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  own  consciences.  Free  from 
cramping  influences,  they  have  developed  in  all 
departments.  No  country  on  earth  ever  before  made 
such  progress  as  that  which  has  been  seen  in  the 
short  history  of  the  American  republic.  To  what 
principles  are  we  indebted  for  the  conditions  which 
made  this  wonderful  advancement  possible?  To 
those  of  Calvinism. 

The  early  settlers  of  North  America  were  largely 
Calvinists.  The  Huguenots  from  France,  the  Dutch 
from  Holland,  the  Scotch  and  the  Scotch-Irish,  the 
Puritans  from  England,  were  the  real  pioneers  of 
Western  civilization,  and  they  were  all  disciples  of 
Calvin.  These  distinguished  colonists  came  to  the 
New  World  because,  being  Calvinists,  they  were 
not  tolerated  at  home.  They  sought  for  liberty  to 
worship  God.  They  had  tasted  the  bitterness  of 
royal  and  ecclesiastical  tyranny  in  Europe,  and  the 
high  Calvinism  with  which  they  were  imbued  in- 
spired them  with  an  unconquerable  desire  for  self- 
government.  When  the  great  conflict  arose  between 
the  colonies  and  England,  the  Episcopalians  gen- 
erally sided  with  the  mother-counti'y ;  the  Calvin- 


CALVINISM  AND  SELF-GOVERNMENT.       79 

ists  were  for  independence.  They  had  their  Church 
estabh'shed  by  law,  and  before  the  Revolution  the 
Presbyterians  were  denied  a  charter  in  New  York. 
They  were  not  allowed  "  a  legal  title  to  a  spot  to  bury 
their  deadJ^ 

But  this  was  not  to  continue.  They  had  left 
Europe  to  escape  tyranny,  and  were  not  willing  to 
submit  to  it  in  America.  The  feelings  which  in- 
spired the  break  with  England  were  as  much  re- 
ligious as  political,  though  a  political  act  was  the 
occasion  of  the  rupture.  A  historian  quotes  an 
article  published  in  a  weekly  journal  of  that  day : 
"This  country  will  shortly  become  a  great  and 
flourishing  empire,  independent  of  Great  Britain, 
enjoying  its  civil  and  religious  liberty  uncontami- 
nated,  and  deserted  of  all  control  of  bishops,  .  .  . 
and  from  the  subjection  of  all  earthly  kings." 
Monarchy  and  Episcopacy  stood  together.  The 
clergymen  of  that  faith  belonged  to  a  State-Church 
and  had  sworn  to  support  the  authority  of  England. 
The  king  was  the  head  of  the  Church,  and  they 
were  bound  by  their  allegiance  to  him. 

But  the  Puritans,  the  Scotch,  the  Scotch-Irish, 
the  Huguenots  and  the  Dutch  rallied  under  the 
banner  of  revolution.  They  fought  for  the  right 
of  self-government  in  Church  and  in  State ;  God 


80     PRESBYTERIANISM  FOR   THE  PEOPLE. 

was  on  their  side,  and  tliey  won  it.  They  framed 
their  government  according  to  the  principles  for 
which  they  had  so  long  contended.  They  were 
building  for  the  future,  and  were  divinely  guided 
in  laying  the  foundation  of  a  structure  which  is 
still  rising  before  the  nations,  the  inspiration  of 
freedom  in  other  lands  and  the  admiration  of  man- 
kind. Who  were  the  men  that  did  this  work  ? 
Calvinists — men  who  derived  their  principles, 
strong  as  granite,  from  the  quarries  of  God's  eter- 
nal decree,  "according  to  the  counsel  of  his  will, 
whereby,  for  his  own  glory,  he  hath  foreordained 
whatsoever  comes  to  pass." 

Ranke  says,  "John  Calvin  was  virtually  the 
founder  of  America,"  and  Renan  said,  "  Paul  be- 
gat Augustine,  and  Augustine  begat  Calvin."  But 
who,  we  ask,  begat  Paul  ?  Who  was  the  author  of 
that  system  of  truth  which  has  been  the  mainspring 
of  civilization  and  the  bulwark  of  human  liberty  ? 
We  answer,  It  was  born  in  heaven,  and  claims 
paternity  from  God. 

''Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  us  free,  and  be  not  entanghd 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage^*  (Gal.  v.  1). 


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